Online buyers 'ignoring internet security'

Research from Barclaycard found that one in 10 shoppers made elementary mistakes when buying online. This translated to around 2.5 million people across the UK, analysts said.

Common mistakes included writing down passwords or saving them in an unprotected area on a computer. Also, more than half of online shoppers are not checking that the website they are using has the more secure "https" type of web address before purchasing.

In addition, 14% use their credit card details on computers which others have access to, such as in internet cafes or libraries, and 40% of consumers said they would continue to make a purchase online even if they had concerns about the website they were using.

The research comes on the back of figures from APACS, the UK payment association, showing that online banking fraud had increased by 55% year on year. Incidents of "phishing" - in which fraudsters set up a fake version of a genuine bank website and then send out thousands or even millions of spam emails driving consumers to the site - had jumped significantly.

Martin Warwick, head of card fraud operation at Barclaycard, said: "It is concerning that despite all the advice and information available on fraud protection, many consumers are not confident internet shoppers and are making really basic mistakes when it comes to using their credit or debit cards through websites."